Where does it rain on a hot day's afternoon? Satellite data prepared by the Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (I.P.F.) show that soil moisture plays an important role. It influences precipitation in a way which is quite different from what models have predicted so far.

The study, which was published in Nature, was led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Wallingford, UK). Besides the Vienna University of Technology, also the VU University Amsterdam, and the Center of Meteorology CNRM in Toulouse were involved.